A Service Reflection Journal - Baylor University

A Service Reflection Journal

The purpose of the Office for Community Service at Baylor University is to facilitate meaningful service opportunities for students in order to develop and foster leadership in areas of social responsibility. The ultimate goal of community service is to instill the spirit of volunteerism and service-learning into the lifestyles of students so that they will continue to be committed to the value of service even after they leave the university setting.

A Service Reflection Journal

The Department of Student Activities and the Office for Community Service are pleased to present this Service Reflection Journal. This journal is a compilation of entries from contributors from throughout the Baylor and Waco communities. It is intended to help student leaders involved in service to meaningfully reflect on their service experiences throughout the academic year. To that end, a weekly entry has been provided to you for your response. Our hope is that the entries you find in this journal will inspire in you reflections on your own service experiences. Contributors to this journal include Baylor students, staff, faculty, and alumni, Waco community members, and Waco-area service agency representatives. If you would like to contribute to future publications of the Service Reflection Journal, please contact the Office for Community Service.

Also included in this publication is important information to make your pursuit of service opportunities more effective and enjoyable. From a calendar of service events and programs offered by the Office for Community Service to suggestions for reflection activities for groups you lead. It is our hope that this publication will empower you to profoundly and positively impact the community in which we live.

The Office of Community Service would welcome the opportunity to learn from you what elements of the journal have been most effective and impacting for you. If you would be willing to allow us to review your journal entries at the conclusion of the 2007-08 academic year, please contact our office. Thank you!

The Simple Path

“The fruit of silence is prayerThe fruit of prayer is faith

The fruit of faith is loveThe fruit of love is service

The fruit of service is peace.”~ Mother Teresa

The fruit of love is service. If we really consider those words offered by Mother Theresa, they can put any act of service in a whole new light. People do service for a great variety of reasons. Some participate in service opportunities because they have to – they are required to complete a certain number of service hours by an organization in which they have membership or for a similar reason. Some participate in service because it will improve their résumés – they believe it will make them look good to prospective employers. But the best of us participate in service because we are compelled to from the very core of our being. One of the greatest challenges in participating in service is that we may not find it fulfilling – or that it seems too costly to us. But if we act out of love, if we work to serve in such a way that is motivated by our own deep passion and compassion for our hurting world, we may find the fulfillment we seek.

Questions for Reflection

In your service experiences, when have you felt most fulfilled?

What was unique about the experience you just described

that made it fulfilling for you?

Who or what were you serving when you felt so fulfilled?

Have you tried to create additional opportunities to continue

this fulfilling service experience?

If not, why not?

If so, was the experience of fulfillment repeated?

If yes, how was the follow-up experience different from your

initial experience (if at all)?

Smiles of Gratefulness

Smiles of gratefulness! That is the expression which is so evident in the faces of the people we serve at Gospel Café. While I’m rushing to get away from work for that brief time to serve hungry people, those who come slowly, enter the door patiently waiting in line for a meal prepared by some wonderful people. There is a certain humbleness that I become keenly aware of as I serve people a dessert or refill their tea (being sure it has ice so that it’s cold for the ones who like their tea that way). Because I have a job and can eat whenever I need, it seems my role in serving at Gospel Café compels me to be more devoted at my life’s calling and to be more careful about how much food I eat these days.

I vaguely remember how I got involved with Gospel Café, I remember a notice in the First Page inviting people to help serve a meal once a month. Back in December 2002, I came with some colleagues from work to help one day. Then when I saw the notice about a year or so ago, I thought it was something that I could do – bring a smile to someone’s face as I serve a meal. Since then I’ve been reminded of our opportunity to serve others not only with our words of encouragement but with our presence.

I find that God has many ways to share with us His thoughts and His ways, (Isaiah 55:8-9) and Gospel Café is one of those avenues to take care of His people!

Notes of Reflection

Understanding the Call to Serve

“Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow

stronger, and will make, not only our own happiness, but that of the world at large.” ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

~Frederick Buechner

“Work is love made visible.”~Kahlil Gibran

Service to our brothers and sisters is not only noble and worthy of recognition, it is our responsibility. Christ tells us that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or visit the sick and dying, we are really performing these acts of service on Him. God calls us to lives of service.


Take a few moments to consider three individuals who have

performed acts of service you admire.

For each of the individuals you selected, what do you think

motivated their acts of service?

What motivates your acts of service?

Why is service important to you?

The Needy

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you

can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”~John Wesley

“Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you,

there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me. To see reality – not as we expect it to be but as it is – is to see that

unless we live for each other and in and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily; that there can really be life only where there really is, in just this sense, love.”

~Frederick Buechner

Why do you think some people suffer?

In what ways are you needy?

“And what is it to work with love?It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn

from your own heart,even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.

It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved

were to dwell in that house.It is to sow seed with tenderness and

reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.

It is to charge all things you fashionwith a breath of your own spirit.”

~Kahlil Gibran

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”~Mohandas K. Gandhi

“And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full,

the thirst that is unquenchable? There are those who give little of the much which they have –and they give it for recognition

and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.

And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life,

and their coffer is never empty. There are those who give with joy,

and their joy is their reward.And there are those who give with pain,

And that pain is their baptism.And there are those who give and know not

pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give mindfulness of virtue:

They give as in yonder valley the myrtlebreathes its fragrance into space.

Through the hands of such as these Godspeaks, and from behind their eyes

He smiles upon the earth.”~Kahlil Gibran

What does it mean to be needy?

The Least of These

My senior year of college I was part of touring theatre ensemble. We had a collection of sketches that were intended for church audiences that we took on the road. We traveled to dozens of churches in a stuffy 15-passenger van with a dysfunctional air conditioner, windows that squeaked and rattled over every bump in the road, and it burned gasoline faster than any vehicle I’d seen before – or since. Occasionally, we would be booked to visit a Christian school and interact with children. One night during rehearsal, our director called us together to discuss our upcoming performances.

“Okay, guys. This weekend we’ll be at North Valley Friends Church, and then next week we have a Wednesday night performance with Beaverton Four Square’s youth group.” The group muttered general affirmation that we knew the schedule that was ahead of us.

“I just got us another performance that’s not on your schedules. It’s a little bit different from our usual audience.” A few took notice, but for the most part, we just sat quietly waiting for rehearsal to wrap up so we could head home. Our director went on, “We’ll be at the Willamette Valley Correctional Institute.” There was a long pause during which I seem to recall at least one quiet, but distinct gasp.

The next week we performed for the Friends Church, followed a few days later by our performance for the youth group. Things went exactly as they always seemed to go. The audiences laughed with us and inserted the appropriate “Mmms” and “Huhs” to indicate that our point had been made. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then came Saturday…

We loaded up in the van and set out for the prison. On the way, we received some special instructions from our director. We would be adjusting our program to leave out a couple of sketches. The prison administrators had reviewed the scripts and recommended a couple of changes, so we ran our lines for the rest of the van ride. When we arrived, we

had a brief orientation with the prison chaplain before we were allowed to enter the facility. Following our orientation, we entered through the first set of doors. They were large, metal doors that opened only when two individuals with keys – one on each side of the door – deactivated the massive magnets that served as locks. Passing through the impressive doors, we had to go through metal detectors, our props were searched, and each of us was individually patted down. Then, we proceeded through the second set of doors. These doors had not only magnets, but traditional bolt locks. There were five bolts that stretched from one side of the door frame to the other. Each bolt was disengaged and the magnet deactivated before we could gain entry to the next area. Finally, we were inside the prison.

We walked across a small, neat courtyard to the community center. We learned that this was where the inmates took classes to complete their GEDs, work toward college degrees online, check out books from the prison library, and more. Despite all that the community center had to offer, they had never hosted a performance group like ours before. As we entered the room in which we were about to perform, the chaplain had to clear a path for us to the front of the room so we could prepare. The room was packed. And this was a group like no audience we had ever worked with before. They were loud and rowdy. The men were swearing loudly, insulting one another, and just to keep things interesting, throwing out an occasional threat to a fellow inmate. As we prepped the performance area, my friend Heidi pulled me aside and said, “Think they’ll kill us if we suck?” I laughed uneasily. What would happen if we bombed?

When finally it came time to perform, the prison chaplain called the audience to order. The men quieted immediately and from that point forward, they were the single-most engaged, appreciative, and receptive audience for whom we had the privilege to perform.

Following our performance, we mingled and chatted with the inmates. The prison chaplain was making introductions as we walked through the men. A middle-aged, small man with thick glasses tentatively approached us. He shook my hand and thanked me profusely for our performance. As he squeezed my hand he said, “Nobody’s ever come here to do that before. That means something, you know? And you’re good at it, too!” I smiled, thanked him, and said, “You guys are the best audience we’ve ever had! I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I think I enjoyed it more than you did!” “Well, this was a real treat. We don’t have much to smile about around here. God knows how bad this place is. He even says it in the Bible. You know that part about the ‘least of these?’ He talks about prison in that part.” He looked around the room and gestured to the other inmates, “Guess that makes me a least of these.” He smiled broadly, squeezed my hand a little harder, and thanked me one more time. Then, he walked away and disappeared into the crowd of men.

The chaplain smiled and said, “That’s Carl. Carl is one of the good guys in here. Quiet, thoughtful, and someone you’d never expect to be in a place like this. He was an accountant before he came to us.” I was intrigued, “An accountant? How long has he been here?” The Chaplain’s smile faded a bit as he said, “Well, I’ve been here six years, and he was here long before I got here. And he’ll be here the rest of his life.”

I don’t know what Carl’s crime was. I don’t know why he was convicted to spend the rest of his life in prison. What I do know is that one day at a prison in Oregon, I connected with a person in desperate need of companionship. I connected with “a least of these.”


What people do you think you might be uncomfortable serving?

What about this group of people makes you uncomfortable?

What would make you more comfortable in serving this

group of people?

Do you think others might share your discomfort in serving

this group of people?

What can you learn by serving in areas and with people who

make you uncomfortable?

The Bible passage Carl was talking about is Matthew 25:34-40.

In that passage, Jesus specifically talks about being hungry,

thirsty, a stranger, in need of clothes, being ill, and being in

prison. In our society today, what other people who would

you consider to be the “least of these?”

Sometimes, we can reach people who make us uncomfortable

by using our natural gifts and abilities. What gifts and abilities

do you have that equip you to serve?

Shaped by God

“It is not you who shapes God; it is God who shapes you.If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the artist

Who does all things in due season.Offer God your heart, soft and tractable,

And keep the form in which the artist has fashioned you.Let your clay be moist,

Lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of God’s fingers.”~ Irenaeus

“What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know… The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do… What good would it to me to be able to explain the meaning of Christianity if it had

no deeper significance for me and for my life.” ~ Kierkegaard

In this first quote, the second century Church Father, Bishop Irenaeus offers to us an invitation that is as old as Elijah. It is an invitation to which Jesus responded often, from his 40 days in the wilderness to the hours crying out to God before his death. This invitation to spend time in silence, listening for how God is shaping me is one that seems to be at the heart of how we understand our call to serve others.

Irenaeus calls us to listen, to await the hand of the artist who is shaping us because he knows God isn’t finished with us yet. Even my children know this truth. But taking the time for the inward journey of listening to God as we are being fashioned is no small task. We want to be on the outward journey: doing, serving, and loving. These are the main things, we assume, but it may be worth more.

Gordon Cosby, founder of the Church of the Saviour in Washington D.C., recently told a group of Baylor students that we need to make time to ask ourselves and each other the questions, “Who am I?” and “Who are you?” “I just met you, but I don’t have nearly enough time to know you,” he said, “but you have to do the work of knowing yourself.”

He challenged us by demanding that faithful ministry cannot happen without knowing our “essence.” We need to ask:

What does it mean to be a child of God? What does it mean to be in Christ? What does it mean to follow in the Way of Jesus?

In the second quote above, I believe Kierkegaard is right. As students, investing ourselves in lives of faithful service, we are learning more than “what am I to know?” We need to understand ourselves in order to understand what God wishes us to do, but the question is not only, “What am I to do?” but “Who am I to be?” As people of faith, we have to ask the hard questions, sometimes over and over again, to discern the essence of who God has made us to be.

Once we do stop to ask these things, we have to learn to listen for the answers; this is the hard part. Irenaeus’ Artist, Elijah’s Still Small Voice, Jesus’ Abba, each of these names for God suggests an invitation for God to come and answer the questions with us. Because we are fearfully and wonderfully made, God wants us to know ourselves in a deeper and richer sense. I know the quick and easy answers, the ones we all share, but do I know the ways in which God has made me unique? Do I understand these things in myself?

It is only in this kind of authentic self-awareness and genuine self-reflection that we come to a true relationship with our creator. It is only after engaging in this inward journey, that we come to any clear sense of an outward journey. I know that I can only understand my unique and personal sense of call if I truly learn to listen for it. My vocation only makes sense when I deeply consider how my “being” will inform my “doing.”

In all honesty, I am in such a hurry to live out some sense of vocation, to serve and to love, that I go and do what I’ve seen so many others go and do. Too often, I live out someone else’s vocation. So, how do we discern our being and our doing? How do we listen for who God is calling us to be? And then, how do we listen for what God is calling us to do?

It’s as simple as putting down this book and asking God to speak, as straightforward as sitting still and listening for the affirmation of who you are as God’s beloved child. It’s as difficult as taking the awkwardness of the silence into other parts of your life, as challenging as setting aside the voices of our culture that constantly define you. This week, may the voice of God be louder and clearer than the other voices that surround you!


Consider three words that you would use to describe your

strengths and three words that others would use to describe

your strengths. Offer these to God and ask if these are words

that God would use for you. Sit in silence with each word for

several minutes. Ask God how these words about who you

are might shape the ways God can use you in serving others.

After this time of reflection, write the words that came to

mind and some of your thoughts.

Pray aloud Psalm 139:1-6 and then sit in silence for several

minutes. Read aloud vv. 13-18 and sit in silence for several

more minutes.

Transforming Your Community

Now is your time!

Now is your time to serve!

Now is your time to transform – to make a positive contribution to society!

As a Baylor alumnus, I strongly believe that service is

transforming our community – through vision, leadership, and building long lasting relationships.

When people discuss service, they “water down” the meaning of it. However, the word of service is powerful, transforming, and selfless. Service is bigger, larger, and more fulfilling than an individual ambition. In a larger sense, service allows one to be truly engaged, and it gives a positive contribution to the community.

You all have been entrusted with a special responsibility, and in the words of Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” You all have a unique opportunity to make a difference. As leaders and sometimes as followers, you can truly transform this community through vision, leadership, and building long lasting relationships. This is what service means.

First, service inspires a vision – something to shoot for. As visionaries, the vision is usually broad, idealistic, and something to look forward to in the future. It starts with building a framework of objectives, goals, and timetables. It also starts with a succinct mission with an ordinary team doing extraordinary deeds. Therefore, as Proverbs 29:18a says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” It is my encouragement that you have a vision to guide you into making a difference, thus serving all the while.

Another part of transforming our community and service is your leadership. Leadership is about serving others rather than yourself, and this leadership type is transformative.

This leadership must be proactive not reactive; it must be built on ethical and moral foundations with faith, integrity, and honesty. Also, this leadership is serving like Jesus did – as a servant in all situations. Plus, this leadership is based on conviction, being active rather than passive. Lastly, this leadership is “thinking anew” and desiring the greater good of humanity in humble way.

Finally, transforming our community through service is about building relationships. It’s about building the right relationships with the right people. In Douglas T. Phillip’s book, Lincoln on Leadership, the author describes President Abraham Lincoln’s first lesson on leadership: “Get out of the office and circulate among the troops.” As leaders of service, one must be about the people – circulating among the people in order to know and learn about one’s constituency. Service is about building long-lasting relationships and being able to relate to people.

So, leaders, service is about vision, leadership, and building relationships – truly transforming your community. The great thing about service is anybody can do it. “Everyone can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love,” Martin Luther King, Jr. said.

I want to personally encourage you to be servants. Transform your community by having a vision, being a leader, and building relationships. The world is counting on you. Waco is counting on you and Baylor is counting on you to make a difference.

You can do it; you can be the transformer.

You can serve.

Now is your time!


How do your service experiences build relationships?

Who are you building relationships with?

What is your vision for the role service will play in your life?

What is your vision for the role service will play in your

organization?

A Servant’s Life

Monday, October 30, 2006, 9:32 a.m.

I remember watching the door slowly open and wondering why life had suddenly shifted into slow motion.

I remember somehow knowing that life from this point forward would be defined by this moment.

I remember holding my left hand up and saying to the first of the three physicians as they were walking through the door, “You are not going to tell me my Mother is dead.”

I remember him lowering his head and saying, “I’m sorry to have to tell you...”

I remember walking into the ICU room and seeing my mother lying there, looking as if she were asleep as she had a million times before.

I remember telling her how much I loved her and how very much I would miss her.

And then,

I remembered her lying down with me to take naps.

I remembered her making a coconut cream pie to take to Mrs. Mann’s house because “she doesn’t feel well today.”

I remembered her holding my head in her lap and rubbing my temples when I’d have headaches.

I remembered her buying me candy and then buying an extra one because “Beverly (my cousin who was spending the night) might want one, too.”

I remembered her reading me and my siblings a Bible story every night and afterward asking us questions to make sure we were listening.

I remembered her sitting in church one Sunday sweating from fever and later saying to a friend she needed to be there so she could be a good example to her children.

I remembered her putting money in an envelope and telling me to go take it to Mr. Richard and to not say anything, even if he asked who it was from.

Monday, October 30, 2006, 9:33 a.m.

I remembered…

I remembered my Mother taught me to be a servant leader by being one herself.


How do you define the life of a servant?

What role does death play in servanthood?

Who in your life has exemplified servanthood and what kind

of impact have they had on you?

What will your eulogy say about your life as a servant?

A Service Chair’s Perspective

When I came to Baylor, I knew I wanted to get involved in organizations that provided service opportunities around campus and the Waco community. As I started to look at different organizations and fraternities, I was always interested in what they provided in the area of service. I have always been called to want to give my time and energy to help others who may be in need, no matter how big or little an impact it may leave.

I feel that Baylor students have a unique opportunity to make an impact on the Waco community. Most students have the time and energy, and I have found that most have a desire. However, it takes an effort to organize projects that can be run successfully. I was very lucky to serve my fraternity as service chair for one semester. I quickly learned how much it took to organize projects that the guys would find worthwhile. While it was tedious at times, the effort was worth seeing the impact our fraternity was making.

My fraternity ran some weekly projects that guys could participate in. My favorite was always the Backyard Bible Clubs we participated in on Monday afternoons. Every week we would meet up and go to an apartment center near the river. Little kids from the apartments would come out to the playground after school and we would spend the afternoon playing games, kickball, football, etc. After about 45 minutes of playing we would gather all the kids around a bench, serve cookies and drinks, and then have a small Bible study. We kept the Bible studies pretty short and might read a verse or put on a funny skit. We would then pray for them to end the day. Even though it may seem a small task in our eyes, who knows the long term impact it can make for those kids.

The Backyard Bible Club was organized through Mission Waco who helped us every semester. There are a lot of great opportunities in Waco for service, and I have always felt that Baylor and student organizations have made a great impact.


What are possible long-term impacts that may come from a

service experience?

Describe the importance of positive role models.

Why is consistent service important to the community?

Why is consistent service important to you or your organization?

Marilyn’s Garden

As the Steppin’ Out event loomed on the near horizon, our Steering Committee was working diligently to find worksites to accommodate the anticipated 3,000 student volunteers. We had reached a point in our planning at which we only needed another few worksites to put all of our volunteers to work, but we were struggling to find the last ones. We got a phone call from a woman calling on her mother’s behalf. Mrs. Morris was in need of some general landscaping, yard work, and she needed her house painted. We took the job! We assigned the jobsite to one of our sororities and gave them all the information they needed.

The day of Steppin’ Out finally arrived, and our students picked up their tools and went to Mrs. Morris’ house. Throughout the day, our students worked hard clearing her yard which had become terribly overgrown, and scraping and painting her house which was in desperate need. To our knowledge, the service day passed without incident, the service was completed, and the students returned to campus for our Celebration of Service event. Two days after Steppin’ Out, I got a phone call from Mrs. Morris. She was very upset and during our conversation, broke down in tears exclaiming, “I wish those students had never come here in the first place! They’ve ruined everything!”

In an effort to understand what had happened, I arranged a time to go to Mrs. Morris’ home and see the damage for myself. When I arrived at her home, I took a mental inventory of the things that appeared to be creating an issue for Mrs. Morris. But as I walked up to her front door, I struggled to find anything of significance that was wrong. As Mrs. Morris and I talked, she informed me that our students had dripped paint on the porch floor as they painted the porch ceiling, she didn’t like the trim color, and most concerning of all, they had torn out her herb garden. Her husband passed away a few years prior and the garden he planted was one of the few ways in which she felt he was still with her in some

small way. After a long chat and much effort to console her, I told Mrs. Morris we would do what we could to make things right. A week later, I returned to Mrs. Morris’ home with a carload of herbs to be planted in her now vacant garden and a full supply of trim paint in the color of her choosing.

I spent three hours with Mrs. Morris that day as I worked to restore her herb garden. When I first arrived, she talked with me from behind her screen door. Within the first 30 minutes I was working, she came out to the porch where she sat and talked with me. After the first hour, she pulled a chair from the porch into the garden area and was telling me stories about her husband and the garden he had planted. As I worked, I came to realize that Mrs. Morris was a lovely woman who was just in need of someone to talk with. When the garden was finished, I gathered my tools and was loading them into my car. Just as I was about to turn and say goodbye to Mrs. Morris, she tapped me on the shoulder. With tears in her eyes she said, “Thank you. Thank you so very much. My husband would love your garden.” With tears in my own eyes now I replied, “It’s not my garden, Mrs. Morris. It’s yours now.” She gave me a fierce hug and told me to call her Marilyn.

Two years later, I still visit Marilyn on occasion. We chat about the weather, about her daughter who lives in Oklahoma now, but mostly, we talk about her garden.


What service experiences have you had that created some

kind of conflict?

How was the conflict resolved?

What did the conflict mean to your overall service experience?

How do you cope with service situations that make you

uncomfortable?

How do you help others deal with uncomfortable service

situations?

Guilt versus Gratitude

One of my favorite reflections regarding service comes from Henri Nouwen in his book, Gracias: A Latin American Journal. He notes that the historical attitude of those who serve, to “bring the knowledge of the Gospel to poor, ignorant people and thus offer light in their darkness,” displaced gratitude. “Gratitude is the attitude which enables us to receive the hidden gifts of those we want to serve and to make these gifts visible to the community as a source of celebration.”1

The two most damaging motives in the makeup of [those who are called to serve] are guilt and the desire to save. As long as I go to [the poor and marginalized] because I feel guilty about my wealth, whether financial or mental, I am in for a lot of trouble. The problem with guilt is that it is not taken away by work. On the other hand, the desire to save people from sin, from poverty, or from exploitation can be just as harmful, because the harder one tries, the more one is confronted with one’s own limitations. We feel guilty and we desire to bring about change. These experiences will always play a part of our daily lives.

The great challenge, however, is to live and work out of gratitude. The Lord took on our guilt and saved us. In him the Divine work has been accomplished. The human [service] task is to give visibility to the Divine work in the midst of our daily existence. When we can come to realize that our guilt has been taken away and that only God saves, then we are free to serve, then we can live truly humble lives. Clinging to guilt is resisting God’s grace, wanting to be a savior, competing with God’s own being. Both are forms of idolatry and make [service] very hard and eventually impossible.

Humility is the real Christian virtue. It means staying close to the ground (humus), to people, to everyday life, to what is happening with all its down-to-earthness. It is the virtue that opens our eyes for the presence of God on the earth and allows us to live grateful lives. The poor themselves are the

first to help us recognize true humility and gratitude. They can make a [server] a truly happy person.2

1Nouwen, Henri. Gracias: A Latin American Journal. (Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York: 1998). p. 18-19.2Ibid. p. 161-2.


When have I served someone who was poor, marginalized or

in need, and I was motivated by guilt or the desire to save?

What did I feel guilty about?

What was I trying to save someone or a situation from?

What might have changed in me or the situation if my

attitudes had reflected humility and gratitude?

When I encourage others to serve, how can I motivate them

without laying guilt on them or setting them up to “save” or

be “the big fix” for a situation or need? How can I encourage

attitudes of humility and gratitude?

What decisions am I personally making to stay “close to the

ground” with people and in daily life? How can I lead others

in this same manner?

Johnathon’s Gift

My freshmen year at Baylor I joined Baylor Buddies, a mentoring program. The program paired me with a local first grader named Johnathon. He was shy, gangly, and unsure of himself. He cried frequently when frustrated and was often frustrated by his school work. I worked with him specifically on reading. For most of the semester he and I would alternate reading his story books. I would read a sentence then he would and so forth.

During our last meeting of the semester, Johnathon gave me the best Christmas present I have ever received. That day when Johnathon sat in my lap to read, he looked up at me and said, “I want to read this one by myself.” I told him to go for it. Halfway through the story I could feel myself tearing up as he stumbled his way through each word without help. When the story was over, he looked at me with a huge grin on his little face and pride beaming from his eyes and said very matter-of-factly, “The end.” That day, I was the one crying as I wrapped him in a bear hug. His teacher later told me that was the first full story he had ever read by himself.

The unexpected, but best part is that the pride I feel, even now as I remember that moment, is not from a sense of personal accomplishment as one might expect; it is from a sense of honor and love. I went into the service believing that I would feel good about myself because I was going to help his child. I was going to help him learn to read. At that point, the service was being done selfishly. Not until our last meeting of the semester did I realize that his accomplishment was entirely his own, not an achievement I could brag to my friends about or use to make myself look like a better person. I did not deserve a reward for my service. Yet, I was given a great gift. Johnathon had chosen to read his first book to me. He chose to share that achievement with me. As with all people, Johnathon always wanted to share his special events with the people he loved. The story that day let me know that I had become one of those people.


What are your motives for participating in community service

projects?

What do you expect to get out of the experience?

Are these motives and expectations inhibiting your ability to

appreciate the true gifts of the service?

What are the true gifts of the service?

FIESTA – Few doing the work of many

My sophomore year was the reshaping year for my organization; we took the old organization and completely reworked it. As with any organization that is just starting out or restructuring, we had our pitfalls. One of these was support for a longstanding tradition: Fiesta on the River.

I, along with two other students, chaired this event. We had roughly 50 organizations participating and at least six committees comprised of our members. An event like this takes months of planning, and on the day of the event the number of students who had signed up to help did not match the number that showed up. Aside from the three of us and our sponsor, I believe we had less than ten other members pitch in with set-up for the event.

This, of course, led to irritation on our part. Since many students who had committed to help backed out at the last minute, we were left to scramble and make do which, let’s face it, very few people want to do. Regardless, as the saying goes, “The show must go on.” And, it did. That group of people worked harder that day than any other group I encountered during my time at Baylor. We helped each other, did not complain, and managed to have fun despite the time crunch and the amount of work to be done.

The entire event was a success and every participating organization/vendor got what they needed to run their booths. We even managed to add ambience with floating candles placed in the water that flowed beneath the bear pit and multiple balloon arches that accentuated the children’s area. As the officers walked around that night, we saw students having fun, organizations raising funds, and we still saw those few devoted members helping where they could.

It was then I realized that sometimes few can do the work of many. You can’t always depend on numbers to reveal the amount of help you will receive. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have and in the best of situations, what you have ends up being just enough.


What would your initial reaction be to a lack of support?

In a service project, what is the most important objective to

you? Why?

Describe a time when you weren’t sure the project would get

done. How did you approach it? What worked? What didn’t?

How do you recognize the efforts of those who “go above

and beyond” on a service project or experience?

Whoever saves one life…

I wanted to use this journal entry to tell you a heartfelt, touching story about serving others and the warm-fuzzy feeling it can give you. Then I decided I should probably tell you that only a small percentage of people who serve actually experience one of those warm-fuzzy moments. In reality, service is hard, there is no guarantee that you will get a “thank you,” and you may leave the experience with dirty clothes and a sore back!

The warm-fuzzy feeling is nice, but there is another feeling, no matter what your service experience is like, that trumps the warm-fuzzies every time. It is the knowledge that when you serve, you change someone’s life for the better. It may be a very small aspect of their life, a part that won’t get you on the news or in the headlines. But, for the person you serve, it can mean the world to them to see that someone cares about even the small aspects. Also know that if you expect to change the entire world when you serve, you will find yourself overwhelmed and ineffective.

However, if you aim to change a small part of just one person’s life, the kindness of your service will echo and affect many. A German businessman named Oskar Schindler saved over 1,000 Jewish people from Nazi death camps during World War II. In Schindler’s List, the movie based on these events, the people Schindler saved present him with a ring that reads, “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” You may never fully know the impact your acts of service make upon people, but know that they do make an impact. You may not walk away with a warm-fuzzy feeling, but don’t let that discourage you from continuing to serve. Reach out, even if it is in a small way that feels unimportant, through an act of service. Do this often! You will change their lives and possibly your own.


Think of an act of service that did not leave you a warm-

fuzzy feeling. Were you frustrated? Disappointed?

Has anyone ever done something for you that really made an

impact on your life? Did you tell them how much it impacted

you?

List one person whose life (even a small aspect of it) you can

affect positively this week and how.

Where Passion and Service Meet

Upon first reflection, I would tell you my favorite service project was the day we hauled plaster from a building that was being torn down. I would tell you I loved the dust on my clothes, the way the wheelbarrow handles chafed my hands, the satisfaction of doing a hard day’s labor. It’s why they can’t pry the scraper away from me during Steppin’ Out projects.

But in truth, the service project nearest to my heart has little to do with labor. I take so much pleasure from it that I often forget that it’s a form of giving. No project – not painting, not demolition, not ushering at Sing – makes me happier than volunteering at the McLennan County Library Book Sale. I worked so many shifts as a sophomore that the organizer, Judy Martin, looked for me in the following years.

I like books better than I like people. I wandered confusedly at the nursing home service projects. I signed up to tutor, only to lose interest in schoolchildren who didn’t really want to learn. Working at the sale was almost like a refuge in comparison. I tried to put the less attractive covers in the most visible spots because I wanted every book to find a good home. I looked for classics as I shifted paperbacks from box to box. I looked for treasures among the hardcovers that had been published before I was born. Most of all, I fairly skipped knowing that all around me, others were going through the shelves, looking for something new to teach themselves.

But if you ask me what my favorite service project is, I never mention the book sale. In my mind, I am the beneficiary, the one who leaves feeling sated as if I had just dined on lobster and foie gras. Volunteering there is an experience so wonderful that I can’t imagine any better way to spend my time. But perhaps that’s what lies at the heart of true service.


Each of us is uniquely gifted and talented. What are some of

your unique gifts that often go untapped when you do service

projects?

What are some ways the gifts you listed above might be put

to work to benefit the community?

Describe a time when you were involved in a service project

that you so deeply enjoyed that you felt as though you gained

more from the experience than those you were serving.

How can you ensure that you have additional experiences

like the one you just described?

Love Doesn’t Have to Hurt

This is what I experience on staff at the Family Abuse Center:

She came in during the early morning hours one night. She had three small children with her. The look on their faces was one of fear, torment, despair, depression, and hopelessness.

Their belongings, for the most part, were what they wore on their backs and what they could carry.

They didn’t know what was going to happen to them, they only knew that the violence had stopped. At least for now.

They were greeted by a person with a smile and a friendly face that told them they were safe now and everything was going to be okay.

They were given a room with their own beds. They were fed if hungry. They were given personal hygiene items, sheets, towels, and pillows. They were settled into their rooms with a feeling of safety and solace for the first time in a long time.

They slept.

The next day, their new lives began. The mom met with her new case manager. Her situation was assessed. Together they developed a plan for her and her children. A plan that would hopefully help her to become the head of her life and household for the first time in a long time.

She was assigned a counselor; a time to meet with the legal advocate. She and the children were given a tour of the facility. The services available for her and the children were explained.

All of a sudden, it occurred to the little family that there was

hope and friendship available. They started to smile instead of cry – a little bit at a time.

At some time in the future, they will leave the Family Abuse Center with hope for a new future free from hate and violence.

This is what I see each day that I am here at the Family Abuse Center: hope for the future and regeneration of life. There is nothing more fulfilling.


When you think of domestic violence victims, what kind of

people do you usually envision being involved?

Domestic violence knows no boundaries. Victims are

identified in every ethnic, gender, age, educational, economic,

political, financial and religious background. Have you known

anyone who is or has been the victim of domestic violence?

Each year, $857.3 million is spent on medical care for victims

of domestic violence. What role does the community play in

domestic violence prevention?

______________________________________________________

On average, victims (both men and women) of domestic

violence are assaulted 7-15 times before they seek help or

resources to help them get out of destructive relationships.

Why do you think that is?

What are some things you can do to help prevent domestic

violence?

Each semester, the Office for Community Service facilitates a

“Build-a-Basket” program that provides baskets of personal

items for residents at the Family Abuse Center. Common

items in baskets include shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes,

toothpaste, etc. If you were a resident at the Family Abuse

Center, what kinds of items do you think would be most

valuable to you in a basket from Baylor students?

Hard to Swallow

I knew that my first trip to Africa was going to be challenging. Just the preparation alone was like running a marathon, parachuting, and getting a root canal all at the same time. Even though I read many books and did lots of research, there was still no way to know what to expect.

I have had the privilege to visit many exciting places around the world. I have seen beautiful countries, met unique people, and experienced new cultures. Without exception, the one obstacle I cannot overcome is trying different foods. I have friends who will try anything – chicken feet, red bean ice cream, squid pizza. It is beyond my capacity to stomach anything more interesting than mashed potatoes. Africa was going to be a challenge.

As I packed my bags for Kenya, I stuck in a few items that I consider my survival kit: peanut butter crackers, granola bars, trail mix, and hot tamales were tucked in every nook and cranny of my suitcase. To my surprise and overwhelming gratitude, our guesthouse served Western food. I thought I was in the clear until…

One day our team went to do ministry in a small village outside of Nairobi. Specifically, we were going to visit a newly founded organization that worked with HIV/AIDS patients. Our purpose was to listen and observe what ministry was currently in place, assess their needs, and offer pastoral care.

In most cultures, a basic element of hospitality is to offer food and drink to your guests. If you grow up in the South, it is ingrained in you from birth. In African culture it is not only common to offer food and drink, but to offer the very best, and, in many cases, the last morsel in the pantry. That was the case with our host. Their best and last was a type of porridge that took hours to prepare. It was ground by hand and slow cooked in a big pot. Those of you who have texture issues will understand when I say that I could barely drink/eat it without gagging.

As I stood there trying to be a gracious guest, I was introduced to the matriarch of the village. She was stooped over from years of carrying firewood and her hands were dry and gnarled from a hard life of working the land. Her eyes, however, were full of wisdom and love. I was told that she had spent most of the morning making the porridge for our arrival. I sat beside her and found that finishing my food was much easier.

I learned a great deal about humility that day. I learned that receiving with a spirit of humility is much harder than giving out of abundance. I learned that it is both arrogant and selfish to think I am the only one who has something to give.


Have you ever experienced a service/mission project where

it seemed to be more beneficial to you than to the recipient?

Explain.

How did it make you feel?

What did you gain?

What did you give?

What life lessons did you learn?

Tiny Treasures

In the immortal words of Madonna, “We live in a material world.” And, I must admit that to some extent “I am a material girl.” I mean, I live alone and still have more than enough stuff to completely fill up a two bedroom apartment. So how is it that out of all of the things crammed into my closets, a small scrap of paper is one of my most prized possessions? The answer is very simple: these items remind me that (to quote the Beatles), “money can’t buy you love.”

During my time as an undergraduate at Baylor, I worked as a Baylor Buddy. For three and a half years I tutored and mentored a local elementary student named Johnathan. It was during those times that I came to truly appreciate that it is often the smallest things that mean the most. I call these things “tiny treasures” and now understand that our lives are large treasure chests simply waiting to be filled.

You see, unlike the P.A.L. I worked with in high school, who came from the same middle class neighborhood I did, Johnathan and I were from different worlds. His family life was unstable at best, his clothes were often dirty, and he had never left Waco. He also changed schools five times over the course of those years as his family passed him and his brother from one rundown home to another.

I went to his school for an hour every week and at the end of every semester would take him and his brother out for a Fun Day. I spent less time with him than I did doing my laundry. Yet, that hour a week and two days a year meant more to Johnathan than I could have imagined. Johnathan never held a party in my honor or gave me any kind of award. No, he showed his gratitude for my time in subtle, but powerful ways.

Every time that I came to visit him he would jump from his seat and run to me as soon as he saw me standing in the doorway of his classroom. Whenever someone would ask him who I was, he would loudly announce, “That is my Baylor Buddy!” Those are the memories that flood my thoughts each

time I catch a glimpse of the small scrap of paper I keep framed on a shelf. The scrap is a note Johnathon gave me one day at the end of my visit. (He had been working on his handwriting in class that morning.) I cannot adequately describe the overwhelming feeling of surprise and joy that surged through me when I read these words.

You see, the amount of time spent is not always equal to the impact that service has. The smallest acts of kindness can become the tiny treasures in someone else’s chest. Those, in turn can become the treasures in yours. That small scrap of paper is worthless monetarily, but it means more to me than anything I could buy.


How do you measure your successes when you participate in

a service project or program?

How might your measures of success be different from those

you serve?

What “tiny treasures” have you discovered in your service

experiences?

What made those “tiny treasures” significant to you?

What “tiny treasures” can you offer those around you whom

you deeply appreciate?

Following My Inner Voice, Finding My Calling

“Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must listen to my life and try to

understand what it is truly about – quite apart from what I would like it to be about – or my life will never represent

anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.” ~ Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

After college, I took a job in the field of my major. I loved what I had studied in college, and I enjoyed working in that field. I spent several years moving positions and being promoted. I moved between companies and kept finding myself in new and interesting places with new and interesting people. Life couldn’t get any better.

Even though I loved what I was doing, I eventually grew restless. I didn’t know why. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and I was a little bit afraid of this persistent feeling.

During this same time, I was serving at a church. I was a youth group leader, mentoring college student leaders of the group. I loved this, too. I loved having the opportunity to see college students become better leaders. I loved watching them connect with younger students and relate. I would have spent all my time doing it if I could.

Slowly, I began to understand that the restlessness had to do with this conflict. The two roles were as different as they could be, one used my strengths as a developer and connector, and the other used my strengths as an arranger and activator. Despite these differences, I found great joy in both roles.

But I wasn’t ever restless when I was working with the students. I never thought to myself, “If only I were back at work.” But when I was at work I DID think about my students and what was going on in their lives, looking forward to the next time we’d be together.

This restlessness was my life speaking to me. My true

self – the one that delights to serve others and watch them grow, the one that loves to see individuals change and develop, and the self that believes all people can be who they believe they can be – was trying to tell me something. And that something was that even though I was great at my career, my joy and fulfillment was coming from my service… and maybe I could do that service for a career instead.

When I listened to my life speaking, my life ended up being uprooted (I moved 3000 miles to work at a Christian College), lonely (I knew only one person, and the community was difficult to break into), and tiring (I worked long hours in my role)… but it was the best life ever.

All those difficulties paled in comparison to the great joy (even greater than in my past career) in working full-time in the area that my life had led me to.

I believe that God used those feelings of restlessness to prod me into something new. I know that where I am today, and the deep sense of satisfaction I feel when I go to work or to have coffee with a student, are due to His voice speaking through my life saying, “What if…”


What types of activities bring you great joy?

Are you serving in any areas that could lead to a career?

How has a recent service project made you think differently

about your vocation or calling?

What is your life saying to you about your vocation?

Are you listening?

Final Thought

“[The] insight is hidden in the word vocation itself, which is rooted in the Latin for ‘voice.’ Vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear. Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity, not the standards by which I must live – but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.” ~ Parker Palmer

Serve Because You are a Servant

My father once told me that there is nothing we can do on our own apart from God that is good. I, of course, quickly asked if that was even true when we were feeding the poor or looking after the widow. Surely, important and selfless acts such as those are good to do regardless of our relationship with God.

I didn’t understand what my dad meant by his statement until recently. I am one of those people that have always encouraged service in my peers, started opportunities for others to serve, yet I have very rarely actually volunteered for any service myself.

We all grow up hearing that is more blessed to give than to receive. We may have actually even parroted this line once or twice. I had been repeating something I thought to be theoretically or theologically true, but I don’t know that I really believed it. Or to put it differently, at that time, I would rather receive than give.

Lately, however, I think I have been given an insight into the meaning of this statement. If you think that service or giving is about you helping someone in need you have missed the heart of true Christian service. Let me explain.

We all have a choice. We can act like Christians or we can live as Christians. The difference is never more importantly felt than during the act of service. The actor serves because they believe it is the right thing to do. They may even serve because they feel some sense of guilt that they have so much and others so little. Or they may just serve so that they can place it on a future application or transcript.

Christ, not only our example in service but source for life, stands as the only perfect servant that has ever lived. And He was never motivated by the types of things the actor is. He told us that every thing he did, He received from the Father to do. The Bible tells us that God has prepared good works for us to do.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” ~ Ephesians 2:10

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to

your Father who is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:16

A servant is not a servant because he serves; he serves because he is a servant. When approaching service, I have found that my perspective is everything. If I think that I am going to make this person’s life better, or that I really will have the power to do anything, I get discouraged. Additionally, if I feel like I am doing some kind act out of the goodness of my heart, or because I know that I should, I have found my serving with a cheerful spirit quickly becomes a begrudging, reluctant attitude.

But the true servant does not serve on his own behalf or out of the goodness of his heart. I have to resist the urge to offer my service because it is what people have come to expect from me. Instead I want to always serve on behalf of the Lord. I believe that here on earth it is through one another that God pours His love on us. And as Christians, one of our highest callings and most exhilarating opportunities is being an instrument of God’s love to others. Therefore when I approach service, my motive is to glorify God and to allow Him to love this person through me. I don’t really feel particularly burdened to seek out opportunities to serve; I have found that when I have this posture of willingness, the Lord faithfully provides me opportunities to be used by him.


Have you ever served others for selfish reasons?

As a campus leader, how do you demonstrate the true

motivation behind your service?

How can you help those you lead to find a deeper motivation

for service?

The Legend of the Starfish

A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned. The boy walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean. The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, “I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day? Surely such an industrious and kind-hearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time. Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?” The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, “It makes a difference to that one.”

I really like this story and the message it gives. How often do we help someone or volunteer for a project that seems so small to us, but to that other person it can mean the world!


How can you relate to this story?

Describe a time when you did something that made a huge

difference.

How can you make a difference here at Baylor?

Give an example when you were quick to judge and how

that experience taught you something?

How often do we feel discouraged in our jobs or

organizations, and how do we overcome these obstacles?

Fresh Prince and Service

It’s Monday at midnight, following an intense day of training, and only one thought remains: “Aggghhh, I promised to write some deep profound reflections on service by Tuesday.” I wish I could tell you that despite my fatigue, I had a mini prayer service in my heart, combed the scriptures, cross-referenced commentaries for the Greek, Latin, and Swiss definitions of service, along with scouring my old prayer journals for inspiration about service. However, I did what any logical human being would do facing a rapid deadline: turned on Nick at Nite.

Greeted by my favorite “Fresh Prince” and overcome with nostalgia for scrunchies, neon brights, and large boom boxes, I sunk further into my couch and a semi-comatose state determined to forget my responsibility. But here it is 12:41 a.m. and I am writing my “profound” thoughts on service after watching a mere half hour of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Just for the record I am not normally inspired by late night flashbacks to a decade I would rather not repeat, (especially the blue eye shadow) and I hope this isn’t borderline blasphemy, but I think God spoke to me through the “Fresh Prince.” Perhaps ironically, but I believe divinely, the episode followed the adventures of Will and family as they volunteered for a day of community service.

As I watched I couldn’t help but notice the parallels to my own journey toward understanding the purpose of service. Will began his day of service as I often have: grumpy as he is drug to a day of outreach in the community. Will arrives and promptly aims his energy at connecting with the local community by hitting on a girl. Although I am not sure how this girl resisted the charms of Will Smith (it could have been his opening line of “Give me your number before I change my mind,”) he is promptly rejected and eventually ends up serving alongside a local student who lives in the community. At the end of the day Will says goodbye to his new friend. Will assures him of his deep concern for the

struggling community. However when his friend asks Will when he will be coming back again, he fumbles around for excuses. Will’s friend calls him out and says Will came for a pat on the back, to serve so he could feel good about himself before going back to his self-absorbed life.

Wham (that’s the sound effect I hear in my head when God convicts me), further proof that God can speak through cheesy sitcoms from decades past. I hate to admit it, but I have been an adolescent Will Smith: self-absorbed, shallow, flaky, serving to feel a temporary high, and finding a permanent spot on the “good list” of my Christian peers. I realize that it has been “easy” for me to “serve.” I have served with service teams that have fed off of euphoric highs, new romantic interests, and a feeling of power through being a “savior” to a group or culture. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with serving alongside an enthusiastic team, or even finding a spouse through missions or service teams (although maybe I am just a little bit bitter that I never received my soul mate as a “prize” for my devout heart of service!). Friends, I have simply run out of space to delve into a whole philosophical discussion about the dichotomies that exist amongst short- term service opportunities. I am also banking on the fact that the rest of these entries have received their inspiration from more, shall I say, “substantive” sources than mine.

For me, only one truth has remained about service: it is hard. Not the pep rally, one day, week-long or even month-long commitment kind of service, but the life kind. It’s the kind of dying to self that is described in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” This sort of service means choosing to serve others through a positive attitude that displays itself in words of hope and kindness even on a Monday morning that I am facing without coffee; it is choosing to stay and comfort a person in pain even though I know my favorite show “Lost” is

airing; it is putting aside the thoughts, to-do lists, and cell phone to be present in a conversation; it is saying thank you and smiling even when the wait is incredibly too long for an important person such as myself. That is service. And there are few people I know who embody this sort of living sacrifice, in their moment-by-moment living. We talk a lot in my field about service learning which provides students with service and reflection opportunities intentionally as a part of their academic curriculum.

But tonight I am convicted to live for something more: service living. Through my attitudes, choices, and actions, I want to choose service living. This is a place I can only function from as I continually cry out and say, “God I am only human, I am more prone to watch TV than following through on my commitments, I will often use service for my own selfish gain. Use me anyway; show me how to serve You in every moment I live. Amen.”


What activities in your life sometimes get in the way of your

service?

As a leader on campus, people often have high expectations

of you. How can you ensure that your motivation for service

is true and good?

What can you do as a leader to help communicate your

motivation for service to others?

Take My Life

Instead of sharing a personal story about an act of service that I was involved in, I decided to share the lyrics of my favorite hymn. I encourage you to read the following aloud.

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold not a might would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use every power as you choose.

Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it’s all for thee.

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee, Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee.

Think about the many ways you can serve God and serve others using the following.

Hands and Feet:

Words you speak:

Financial Resources:

Intellectual Resources:

Goals and Plans:

My Meemaw

When I think about what a servant looks like, I think of my grandmother. Meemaw, as I like to call her, isn’t highly educated and she speaks with an accent. Some may say she doesn’t have much to contribute to the world. But, I think she is an excellent example of one who shows Christ’s love on a daily basis. Serving isn’t something she purposely sets out to do; it is just part of her life.

Meemaw is 72 years old and has never lived in a city with a population of more than 6,000. She has been married for over 50 years to a man who she still laughs with daily. When she is needed, she doesn’t even consider whether or not she will do it; she just does it—she fulfills whatever that need may be.

For the past several years that need has been caring for her mother in the same way her mother cared for her as a child. My great-grandmother just turned 92 on August 12th. She has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has been living in a nursing home for around 10 years.

What Meemaw does for her isn’t glamorous or spectacular; she just loves her mother and knows that it is her honor to serve her. She makes the five minute drive everyday to feed her mother and spend time talking with her at the nursing home. Great-Grandma has good days and bad; some days she forgets where she is and some days she doesn’t even speak.

This isn’t an easy task for my Meemaw and not just because she has to see her mother like that. It isn’t easy because she has two brothers that live a half hour away who haven’t seen their mother since the last major holiday. It isn’t easy because she sees many other residents who don’t have any visitors, and she has cried while telling me of these lonely patients and how she just doesn’t understand. However, she does not grow weary in doing good.

She has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the sick. She is blessed by God.


What servant do you admire and why?

What can you do daily to serve someone you love?

The Joy of the Holidays

They entered the building single-file, holding hands, with name tags hung around their necks on bright red yarn. They walked quickly and quietly through the lobby as their awe and excitement rippled through the air. Some of them gasped and giggled when they turned the corner and saw the balloon archway that served as the doorway to Santa’s Workshop.

Last Christmas, the Office for Community Service invited nearly 900 children between the ages of 3-5 to come be part of the big event. Many of the children come from families who live so far below the poverty line that they likely won’t receive a gift for the holidays. We had worked for countless hours transforming the McLean Student Life Center gym into Santa’s Workshop, so as the children stepped off their buses, they entered a whole new world. They entered a world in which every adult they saw was joyful and glad to see them. They entered a world in which Clifford the Big Red Dog and Bruiser Bear wanted to play with them. They entered a world in which piles of presents and toys literally overflow. They entered a world in which Santa and Mrs. Claus lovingly greeted and hugged them.

The Office for Community Service and the Santa’s Workshop Steering Committee plan for months, conduct the toy drive, and put on the Santa’s Workshop event. We partner with Baylor Dining Services to provide the children with a free meal. (Some of the Baylor Dining Services employees even dress up as elves!) Dozens of student volunteers, along with the Spirit Squads, work and play with the children when they arrive. Baylor Athletics sends student athletes to interact with the kids as well.

Santa’s Workshop is one of my favorite programs to be part of for so many reasons: I love watching the children react when they see Santa, Mrs. Claus, Clifford, and Bruiser for the first time; I love listening to the kids sing, “Santa Claus is coming to town” in unison as the cue to bring Santa in; I love watching the kids react to the surprise that they get to take a

present home with them; I love to see the adults who work with the kids everyday have a brief moment of relaxation as Baylor students interact with and entertain the children. I love this program because it is an event of pure joy. It is a program that helps kids in need be kids. It is a program that allows kids to play, sing, and be in awe – and often, allows adults the same privilege!


How do you think poverty robs children (and adults) of joy?

What can you do to restore joy in the lives of families in

poverty?

What kind of service brings you real joy and why?

Service Reflection – Waco Center for Youth

It has been said by Mother Teresa, “The fruit of love is service.” A Bible verse that brings this to mind is:

“God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many

kinds of blessings.” 1 Peter 4:10

As the Community Relations Director at the Waco Center for Youth over the past 26 years, I have had the opportunity and blessing of working with students from Baylor University. The contributions made by student volunteers, both as individuals connecting through one-on-one mentorship work with our kids, as well through group projects, such as Baylor Steppin’ Out paint projects on our Center’s campus, makes a positive difference in the lives of our youth and improves our campus’ physical environment.

Volunteers have taught me that they are individuals moved toward action and service toward others, and their efforts exemplify servant leadership, empowerment, and personal calling. The gifts of their time, their special and unique personal gifts, and their financial resources make an impact in individual youngster’s lives and in the campus environment. Volunteers demonstrate through their service and interactive involvement with Center adolescents that they have a genuine concern, caring, and compassion for them. A Waco Center adolescent young lady stated it this way, “My Baylor volunteer is someone who encourages me and has taught me that tomorrow can be better than today and that I matter.”

For more information about volunteering at Waco Center for Youth, please call 254-745-5173.


How does service empower you?

How has service contributed to your personal sense of calling

or purpose?

How do your service activities show people in the Waco

community (or elsewhere) that they matter?

Illuminate Yourself

Is service an important component of the student experience at Baylor? I think it is more than important – I personally believe it is vital to any real education. I cling to the ideology that says that a university is meant to do more than just provide job training; I want to leave with a fuller understanding of moral virtue and a more accurate worldview. Especially since Baylor claims to be founded on Christian principles, service should not just be a side project but a focus, because Christianity is fundamentally concerned with social justice. Serving others does more than just affect the community around you, it illuminates aspects of yourself that you would otherwise not see, and it gives you opportunities to learn how to relate to other people on another level. It enriches your life in a way no classroom experience can begin to match, and without it, no Baylor education would prepare you for the real world of poverty and injustice that faces everyone after graduation.


How does service help to provide a more accurate worldview?

How does service illuminate aspects of yourself?

How does service help you learn how to relate to other

people?

How has service made your education fuller, or more

complete?

Caring Enough to Endure

People often ask me why I do what I do. My work can be exhausting, physically demanding, and emotionally and intellectually tiring. So why do it? Because I care enough to endure the demands of my work to get through to the other side and see the pay off: positive impacts on the community in which I live.

I must confess that there are times when the demands of my work can be overwhelming, and I do get tired and weary, but I’ve never really wanted to give up. Through the hot, long days in the sun and humidity, through the marathon meetings that are necessary to put together massive service efforts in the community, through the early mornings and late nights (especially since I gave up caffeine!), through it all, I love what I do. I love it because at the end of the day, a family is better able to find joy in the holidays, a local service agency is better equipped to serve the needy members of our community, Baylor students can connect with Waco in new and powerful ways, hungry families throughout Central Texas have access to the food they need, children and families in Waco can smile a little easier… the list goes on and on.

I feel a powerful sense of responsibility that I must contribute to the world. I may not be able to change the world, but I can have a positive impact on one person. To whom much is given, much is expected. I am tremendously blessed, and I have privileges many people in my own community do not enjoy. I believe that because I am blessed, I have a duty to bless others in whatever ways I am able.


What do you care enough about to endure physical,

emotional, and intellectual exhaustion to accomplish?

Describe a time when your hard work has paid off by

positively impacting the community in which you live.

Did you feel a sense of fulfillment at the conclusion of the

experience you described above?

What made that experience rewarding?

Purpose in All Circumstances

In 1944, a young woman was forced to give up her calling to work as a teacher and school principal when she contracted tuberculosis. As she traveled on a train to the city where she would rest and undergo treatment, she felt the call of God pulling her into ministry. She later came to refer to this as “the call within the call” upon her life. Once she had somewhat recovered from her illness, she went on to rent a small room and minister to the impoverished people of the city. Soon after, the people she ministered to, taught, and healed, joined her in this service to others. Had Mother Teresa not contracted tuberculosis and been forced to go to the city for treatment and rest, the worldwide ministry of the Homes for the Dying and the religious order of the Missionaries of Charity would never have come to be. Hundreds of thousands of suffering people would have gone unattended. Mother Teresa’s work would not have been possible had it not been for God’s great purpose and divine plan.


In what ways has God’s plan surprised you in the past six

months?

What led to the surprise?

In what ways have your actions affected people around you?

Challenge: Spend time this week considering how your actions – even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant actions – affect the people in your life. Be intentional about seeing God’s plan, its intricate detail and holy purposes. Live today with intention, acknowledging the great purpose God has for you right now, in this very moment.

“The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of

service is peace.” ~ Mother Teresa

Prayer: Father, thank you for being a God of vision, mercy, and intricacy. You have sculpted our lives in such beautiful detail that you have divine purpose for our every action, word, and emotion. What a gift it is to serve you, Lord, and that you care for the smallest detail of our lives with intention and purposefulness.

For Further Study: Read and meditate on Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 10:25-37 (the parable of the Good Samaritan).

“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things

You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Sacrifice

and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come – it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within

my heart.” ~ Psalm 40:4-8

Your Service Journal Reflection Contribution

More than a dozen people have contributed service reflection pieces to this journal. Imagine that you have been invited to contribute to this journal. What would your entry be about? What questions would you want readers to reflect upon after reading your entry?

For Your Service Experience

Service Journal Contributors: Kristen Balderas • Ryan Haggerty • Dana Lee Haines Emily Hinkle • Dinah Husbands • Charity Joecks • Becky Kennedy • Karin Klinger Mark Laymon • Flora Lee • Sonya Maness • Allan Marshall • Susie Matlock-Hetzel Kat Reed • Dana Renschler • Tiffani Riggers • Hailey Rine • John SingletaryJulie Smith • Kathy Wise

Special Thanks: This journal would not have been possible without the support of the Department of Student Activities. Very special thanks goes to all our contributors without whom there would be absolutely no content on these pages! And thank you to Kristen Balderas who worked so hard on this project.

Service Programs Calendar 2007-08

September11 Impact Dinner18 Service Agency Dr Pepper Hour October2 Service Council Meeting5 Steppin’ Out Registration Deadline29 & 30 Steppin’ Out Job Placement Meetings29-Nov. 3 Food for Families Drive November1-28 Santa’s Workshop Toy Drive6 Service Council Meeting10 Steppin’ Out30 Santa’s Workshop January22 Service Council Meeting28-Feb. 1 Bear the Burden Drive February5 Service Council Meeting25-29 Shoes for Orphan Souls Drive March4 Service Council Meeting7 Steppin’ Out Registration Deadline25 & 26 Steppin’ Out Job Placement Meetings28 Service Award applications due April1 Service Council Meeting5 Steppin’ Out10 Student Organization & Leadership Awards11-12 Baylor Relay for Life

Service Agencies and Contacts

Adopt-A-Highway Program/TxDOT Teresa James 254-772-1200 [email protected]

Advocacy Center Melisa Perkins 254-752-9330 ext. 109 [email protected]

American Cancer Society Jana Madden 254-753-0806

American Heart Association 254-299-0880

American Red Cross Tammy Thompson 254-776-8754 [email protected]

Animal Birth Control Clinic Carrie Kuehl 254-722-2878 [email protected]

Antioch Ministries International Jeff Abshire 254-754-0386 [email protected]

ARC of McLennan County Tom Pearson 254-756-7491 [email protected]

Area Agency on Aging Kathy Lyons 254-772-9600

Art Center Waco Ann Garrett 254-752-4371 [email protected]

Arthritis Foundation Les Marshall254-772-9303 [email protected]

Austin Avenue Neighborhood Assocation (NA) Becky Dixon

Axtell Elementary School Betty Somers 254-863-5419 bsomers@axtell_isd.net

Baylor Child Development Center Pam Wilder 254-710-4373 [email protected]

Baylor NAKelvin Williams 254-752-6792

Bell’s Hill Elementary Renee Blanchard 254-750-3552 [email protected]

Bellmead Rehabilitation Center Janet 254-799-5581 [email protected]

Big Brothers/Big Sisters Patrick Smith 254-776-2824 [email protected]

Bledsoe Miller Recreation Center Juliet Jones 254-750-8684

Bluebonnet Girl Scouts Council Angie McFarland 254-756-4497 [email protected]

Boys & Girls Club Hope Velasco 254-752-6443

Brook Oaks NA Robert Jackson 254-755-7972 [email protected]

Brookview NABill Foster 254-753-7246

Buckner Orphan Care Int.Eraina Larson 214-758-8055 [email protected]

Cameron Park Zoo Connie Kassner 254-750-8467 [email protected]

Cameron Park Zoological Society Diane Jordan 254-750-8424

Camp Fire, Tejas Council Jana Huggins 254-752-5515 [email protected]

Camp John Marc Jeremy Copeland 254-635-8811 [email protected]

Care Inn of Waco Teresa Koester 254-772-0610

Carenet Pregnancy Center Kelly Tetens 254-772-8270

Caritas of Waco Nancy Anderson 254-753-4593 [email protected]

Carver Academy Roxanne Bass 254-757-0787 [email protected]

Carver NA Eddie Evans 254-799-6633 [email protected]

Cedar Ridge NA Larry Traudt 254-754-7208

Cenral Texas Women’s Alliance Lynne Bronner-Morris 254-714-3312

Central Memorial Headstart Jessica Lopez 254-757-1710 [email protected]

Central Texas Senior Ministry Gabby Trombley 254-752-0316 [email protected]

CenTex Sickle Cell Anemia Assoc. Rev. Gene Carter 254-752-3441 [email protected]

Child Placement Center Myra Sims 254-752-2761

City of Waco Housing Rehab. Robert Perello 254-750-5798

City of Waco Parks & Recreation 254-750-8080

City of Waco Housing & Dev.Lee Watts 254-750-5938

Community Haven Alvin Patterson 254-379-8451

Community Training Center Inc. Rev. Gladstone Knight 254-754-5225

Compassion Ministries Kiki Lopez Negrete 254-755-7640 [email protected]

Cottages of Oak Springs Sherry Pugh 254-666-2636 [email protected]

Crestview Manor Debbie Karl 254-753-0291

Crossties ChurchSherry Castello 254-753-5916

Dean Highland NA Dianne deMoville 254-754-1810

Dorris Miller YMCA LaNita Luckey 254-752-1605

Earle-Harrison House Kathy Riggs 254-753-2032 [email protected]

East Riverside NA Lonnie Matthews, Jr. 254-752-5245

East Waco Library John Peterson 254-750-8418

EOAC Headstart McLennan & Falls Counties Sonia Jones [email protected]

Family Abuse Center Dinah Husbands 254-772-8999 [email protected]

Freeman Center Gerald Elliott 254-753-3625 [email protected]

Friends For Life Mary Beth Joseph 254-772-7600 [email protected]

Fuzzy Friends LeAnn Lattimer 254-754-9444

Gospel Cafe Sherry Castello 254-753-5916

Greenview Manor Lesa Lenart 254-640-2373 [email protected]

H.O.T. Council Boy Scouts Shannon Black 254-772-8932 [email protected]

H.O.T. Council on Alcoholism Cindy Love 254-753-7332 [email protected]

H.O.T. MHMR Center Janet Kettler 254-752-3451 ext. 1211 [email protected]

H.O.T. Theapeutic Riding Center & Camp Hope Therapy Team Kari King 254-717-7017 [email protected]

H.O.T. Workforce Dev. Board Linda Frederick 254-756-7822 ext.129

Habitat for HumanityBaylor Chapter Barry Hankins 254-710-4667 [email protected]

Heart of Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Jose Carboyal 254-753-7332 [email protected]

Hillcrest Home Healthcare Sue Brown 254-202-5100

Hillcrest Medical Center Elaine Seeber 254-202-4562

Historic Village Dinah Siemon 254-710-4624 [email protected]

Historic Waco Foundation Bruce Lipscombe 254-756-2828 [email protected]

HOCTIL Peggy Cosner 254-939-4482 [email protected]

Jeffrey Place Nursing Center Carol Stine 254-772-9480

Keep Waco Beautiful Sherri Street 254-750-5728 [email protected]

Kids & Company Stacy Garvin 254-753-0197 [email protected]

Klaras Center for Families Keith Warren 254-752-7889

KWBU Channel 34 Nan Holmes 254-710-3472

La Rue’s Learning Center La Rue Dorsey 254-755-7844

La Vega Childhood Center Judy Spring 254-799-9709

Lake Air Middle School Carman Duffy 254-772-1910 Lake Shore Village Retirement Ctr.Nikki Strawser254-717-9526 [email protected]

Landon Branch NABill Miller 254-772-1401

Latin American Christian Center Darlene Rodriguez 254-756-0011 Laura Edwards Learning Center Esther Nichols 254-753-1312

Leadership Temple and Families in Crisis Suzanne Armour 254-634-1184 [email protected]

Legal Assistance Project Francine Lumbard 254-757-3401 [email protected]

Literacy Missions Center Tina Libhart 254-710-3854 [email protected]

Mayborn Museum Carol Newlin 254-710-1128 [email protected]

MCC Adult Ed - Program Dev. Peggy Grooms 254-299-8777

McLennan Co. Health District Julie Arabi 254-750-5450

McLennan Co. Juvenile Center Melissa Martin 254-757-5072 [email protected]

McLennan County Library Kim Salome 254-750-5974

McLennan Co. Records/Elections Kathy E. Van Wolfe 254-757-5043 [email protected]

McLennan Youth Collaboration/CIS Patricia Harrison 254-753-6002 ext. 211 [email protected]

Meadowlands Terrace Shauna Petty 254-714-2222 [email protected]

Methodist Children’s Home Lindy Dehm 254-750-1275

Mission Waco Kathy Wise 254-753-4900 [email protected]

Muscular Dystrophy Association Margie Smith 254-399-8221 [email protected]

Parkdale Elementary - Waco Reads Patricia Harrison 254-754-2665

Parkdale Viking Hills NA Elizabeth Crump 254-776-5690

Piper Child Development Center Julie Covington 254-710-4373 [email protected]

Providence Hospital Patty Hawk 254-751-4104 phawk@phn_waco.org

Quality Care of Waco Carol Burton 254-752-0311 ext. 221

Rebuilding Together Mel Rodgers 254-723-05331 [email protected]

Relay for Life Debra Williams 254-710-8208 [email protected]

Ridgecrest Retirement Center Nancy Edwards 254-776-9681

Safe House Tiffany Brown 254-756-0179 [email protected]

Salvation Army Rosa Burks 254-756-7271 [email protected]

Sanctuary Home Katie Garrett 254-754-0730

Seeds of Hope, Inc. Katie Cook 254-755-7745 [email protected]

South Waco Branch Library Kimberly Salome 254-750-5974 [email protected]

Special Olympics Patty Marshall 254-666-7015

Stilwell Retirement Residence Joel Wright 254-772-4644

Strecker Museum Complex Patricia Pack 254-710-1110 [email protected]

Sul Ross Elementary Nola Tatum 254-753-1158

Sunny Day Center Linnette Workman 254-799-1099 [email protected]

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Phyllis Hubbard 254-772-9305 [email protected]

Talitha Koum Julie Fancher 254-753-1144 [email protected]

Tennyson Middle School Brad Vardeman 254-741-4965 [email protected]

Texas Department of Human Srvs.Greta Brown254-750-9314

Texas Parks & Wildlife - Mother Neff State Park John H. Roberts 254-853-2389 [email protected]

Texas Rehabilitation Commission Diana Hejl 254-756-5401 [email protected]

Texas Sports Hall of Fame Jay Black 254-756-1633 [email protected]

Texas Youth Commission Matt Baker 254-297-8219

The Bair Foundation Betty Grote 254-776-5600

Toys For Tots (Salvation Army) Rosa Burks 254-756-7271

University High School Annette Perez 254-756-1843 [email protected]

University Middle School Carol Ballesteros 254-753-1533 [email protected]

University NA Vincent Lopez 254-756-5867

Veterans Admin. Medical Center Bobby Zimmerman 254-752-6581 ext. 7414 [email protected]

Veterans Health Care System - Waco Sherry Hughes 254-752-6581 ext. 7414

Waco Baptist Academy Cindy Moore 254-772-2122

Waco CDC Walker Moore 254-235-7358

Waco Center for Youth Dana Renschler 254-745-5329 [email protected]

Waco Child Care Inc. Debbie Miller 254-753-5981

Waco Habitat for Humanity Britt Duke 254-756-7575 [email protected]

Waco Housing Authority Ana Salinas 254-752-0324 ext. 284 [email protected]

Waco Humane SocietyJoAnne Jackson 254-754-1454

Waco ISD Adopt-a-School Program Sarah Collins 254-755-9510 [email protected]

Waco ISD Altermative Programs Kay Metz 254-755-9436

Waco Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Kelly Yarbrough [email protected]

Waco Montessori School Barbara Williamson 254-754-3966

Waco Police Dept. Sharon Hopwood 254-750-7510 Woodland Springs Nursing Center EZ Marshall 254-752-9774

World Hunger Relief Inc. Dale Barron 254-799-5611 [email protected]

How Can I Increase Volunteerism?

Prepare

Find projects to cater to your groups interests: What 1. population do we want to work with? How long do you want the project to be? How can we make an impact on the community?

Form a team to help plan service opportunities with you.2. Delegate your responsibilities by getting two different 3.

people to be in charge of each project.Get your president’s support and advocacy.4.

Connect

Consider partnering with or competing against another 5. organization.

Plan the service in conjunction with a social outing 6. afterwards. (Go to Marble Slab, meet at Poppa Rollo’s, or go swimming afterwards.)

Contact the organization and get any flyers or 7. promotional material.

Make a site visit so you can share with your 8. organization what to expect.

Create tons of individual and group opportunities for 9. volunteering.

Equip

Cast a vision for community service, its benefits, and 10. share testimonies of others who have been involved.

Listen for any problems members may be having and 11. address those needs as quickly as possible.

Award volunteers at your organization’s meeting.12.

Online Resources

• www.project.org • www.servenet.org• www.volunteermatch.com• www.baylor.edu/student_activities/service

Building Effective Team Projects

Building teams is hard, especially when it comes to service. As your organization moves toward serving projects, consider some of the following characteristics. As the service chair, you can encourage team building and growth during these events:

Team’s mission and goals are accepted and understood • by everyone.

Roles and responsibilities are clear and reasonably free • of conflict. Leadership, however, is SHARED.

Members trust and are committed to each other • and to the team. There is mutual accountability for the commitment of the organization.

Conflict and problem solving are handled in an open • discussion.

Individuals derive satisfaction from being a member of • the team and for making an impact in Waco.

Communication is open and member participation is • high. The more the merrier!

Team support, affirmation, and recognition are freely • given. Remember to celebrate and reflect.

Although your project may only last a short time, it can often be a strong sign of your team’s value for one another and for the team. Nurture team within your group, and you will see everyone have a rewarding experience.

Facilitating Reflection for Service Projects

Your role as a Service Chair is not only finding service projects for your organization; it’s also helping members make sense of their experiences following service projects. This can be a difficult task, especially when you’re working with busy college students… not to mention being a busy college student yourself! So, to make your task easier, we have compiled a list of reflection activities that you can use to help your members think through and process their time of service.

QuotesAs the Service Chair, take some time throughout the

service project to write down what you hear your members saying. Try to capture the spirit of the members’ comments and the context in which the quotes are offered. Then, during your reflection time following the service project, read what your members said aloud. Ask the group to give you feedback on the comments:

Are these comments appropriate?

Are these comments a good representation of your personal experience today?

Are these comments sensitive to the people who we served?

Are these comments encouraging?

After hearing these comments read back to you, are you proud to be affiliated with our organization?

The Classic Reflection CircleThis is the most common and most easily facilitated

reflection activity. Invite your members to gather and stand or sit in a circle. Establish some ground rules: 1) each participant

has a right and opportunity to speak; 2) every idea has value and can contribute to learning; 3) participants are responsible for their own learning; 4) respect each other; and 5) this is a safe place, and we can trust one another. Now, ask a question and allow those who would like to respond to do so. As you get the sense that no one else feels the need to speak, toss out another question. Allow the time to be a dialogue. Here are some good questions to get you started:

Why do you do service?

Describe the people you met today through this service project.

What were your expectations of the service project before you arrived there?

Were your expectations met?

What surprised you about the service project?

If you were the person receiving our service today, how would you feel about needing our help?

What have you learned about the Waco community today that you didn’t know before?

How did this service project challenge your assumptions and stereotypes?

What was the best/worst/most challenging thing that happened today?

How has our service today addressed a social need in the community?

Is this a kind of service we should consider doing again as an organization? If so, why? If not, why not?

Free AssociationsThis activity begins with a word association. You will need

lots of post-it notes! Give each member a few post-it notes and instruct them that they will provide one-word responses to your prompt. Here are some words to get you started:

Poverty Apathy Solution Work Homeless Serve Help Hungry

Now that you’ve generated a few post-it notes worth of word associations for each member, now we go to free associations. On a piece of paper, ask your members to write in a free association style 20 solutions to the need your organization addressed in the day’s service project. Remind your members that there are no bad ideas in free association. Even if an offered solution may be unrealistic, it may trigger an idea that is!

“Gotcha”In this activity, the facilitator starts by explaining that the

task is to accurately describe, in as much detail as possible, the service project performed. The facilitator begins the story, but as soon as he/she leaves a detail out, a member must yell, “Gotcha!” That member then is responsible to pick up the story, including the neglected detail, and continue until caught by another member. The goal of this activity is to help members think through every aspect of the service project.

Adapted from Reed, J. & Koliba, C. (2003). University of Vermont, Facilitating Reflection: A manual for leaders and educators.

Registering Your Hours Online

Online RosterAll Service Hours are recorded online. To access the online roster, go to: https://www1.baylor.edu/onlineRoster

You will be redirected to a secure location, where it is safe to type your Bear ID and password. You need your Bear ID and password to enter the system.

The President of your organization must list you as the Service Chair in order for you to have access to the Service Page. Once you are listed as the Service Chair, you will have access to the Service page. When logged in, the user will have three tabs to choose from, the “My Organizations” tab, “View Roster” tab, and “Service” tab.

By clicking on the “Service” tab, the user will be able to add a service event. Clicking on the “select” link next to the “Date” field will pop up a small calendar from which users can select the date of the service event. After submitting the service event, an email will be sent to Student Activities for approval of the event, until approval is given, the event will be shown as pending.

Annual Service Awards

To apply for service awards, applications are available online at: www.baylor.edu/student_activities/service

Annual Service Awards, cont.

A. A. Hyden Award – for Outstanding Student Organization in Community Service based on organization’s participation in local, state, and national service projects.

John S. Belew and Virginia Crump Awards – for Outstanding Female and Male Student Volunteer. Based on participation in local, state, and or national service projects, and other involvement and participation in clubs, including non-service activities.

Standard of Excellence in Citizenship (part of the Student Organization of the Year award application process) – Great student organizations must contribute to the good of the Baylor community as well as to the broader Waco, Texas and global communities. Demonstration of excellence in citizenship in an organization as part of the Standards of Excellence can be applied for each year.

Steppin’ Out Service Award – for Outstanding Volunteer Project. Nominations can be turned into the Office for Community Service.

Everyday Heroes Award – Recognizing students or organizations who are contributing to the community on an everyday basis. Nominations will be accepted through the Office for Community Service.

Toy & Joy Award – for the student organization donating the greatest number of toys to Santa’s Workshop.

Greek Service Awards – Abner McCall Service Awards recognizes one IFC, NPHC, and Panhellenic organization for their community service programs during the academic year. This award will be judged based on the variety of projects, consistency of volunteering, percentage of membership involvement, and total number of hours.

Documents

A Service Reflection Journal - Baylor University